In their simplest form latches for doors, gates and the like commonly comprise a bar and a catch mounted on a door and jam. Either the bar or the catch is pivotably mounted for movement between a bar holding and releasing position. For example, with simple gate latches one merely lifts a pivotable bar or catch to release it from the other member. Once the gate swings or is swung back a camming leading edge of at least one member causes one to be cammed upwardly over the other and then fall behind and into a held position.
Latches on other structures such as motor vehicle doors, refrigerator doors and the like are of more substantial and sophisticated structure for enhanced security and reliability. For example, doors of motor vehicles must be designed to remain securely latched despite the application of forces of diverse magnitudes and directions being applied thereto. Otherwise, the jostling of the vehicle over rough roads or the impact of a collision could cause the door to become accidentally unlatched and to open and result in personal injury to riders. A commonly employed method of preventing such accidental unlatching has been to design the latches with spring bias applied to its movable member. However, even this has sometimes failed as where the force of impact momentarily overcomes the spring bias.
Accordingly, it is seen that a need remains for a more ruggedized latch that is less likely to become accidently unlatched upon the application of forces thereto. It is to the provision of such a latch that the present invention is primarily directed.